Starry Night
by Silver Days
Summary: Jinora and Kai discover that an unknown creature lurks in the forest of the Air Temple Island and chases away the animals and the spirits, so they decide to investigate the case and find the beast. Post Book 3 finale. WC: 6,350


I

Summer was bathing the Air Temple Island in bright colours and flickering shadows. The heat was running through every air particle and was turning the temple into a sumptuous oven. Hence, everyone found it a good idea to take a long afternoon nap and shake off all the unsettlement. It was a well-deserved period of peace and freedom. Tenzin has given permission to the airbenders to roam the less peaceful parts of the world - and mostly the Earth Kingdom, to skim it for troubles caused by the fall of the Queen.

Now it was time for a break. As most of the airbenders left, they reassured Tenzin that they will push things back into balance. Few remained on the island: the master's family, Kai (being too young for the moment to be charged with such tricky tasks), and a few acolytes with newfound powers. New airbenders kept coming even after Zaheer's defeat.

Jinora was enjoying the warm silence, too. She decided to switch sleep with meditation for today. However, she ended up scattered on the meditation floor with her eyes closed. As she was taking a light nap, she heard footsteps coming closer to the gazebo. She picked herself up and settled back into a meditation pose. Jinora was an airbending master. Masters never break their meditating time.

"Hey, Jinora. You feeling sleepy too?"

Oh, snap. She was exposed.

She turned around and saw a bright-eyed Kai. Jinora shook her head.

"Not really. Maybe a little," she admitted. "Why aren't _you _sleeping?" she asked with a grin.

"I don't feel like wasting a sunny day like this with boring activities. I really wanted to see the bi-"

Jinora cocked an eyebrow at him in an affectious manner. Kai blushed slightly. He hated when she cornered him with high-class issues like _grammar._

"Bi, bi, bi...son. The bison. Their stables, and maybe take them out to the pasture. How's that?"

The girl burst out laughing. _He's so cute when he feels uncertain, _she thought. _Wait, what?_

Kai pouted. "Sifu Jinora, stop fooling around and tell me if you want to go see the bisons," he spoke fancily with a lower voice, then realized his mistake. "_Bison! _Argh," he scolded himself, much to Jinora's amusement.

"I'd like to," she said after wiping away a tear from laughing.

The two grabbed their gliders and flew off to the broadest valley on the island. The ocean formed a lagoon, which was sided by a thick forest. Nearby, the bison were kept in caves, improvised stables. Kai took Lefty, which has been relocated from the northern Air Temple and soon became the boy's trusty mount, and Jinora took Pepper, a calf born a few weeks ago from Oogi's "wife", then all headed to the pasture.

* * *

"Lefty's really got bigger", Kai observed after having to airbend himself on his back.

"I think he's getting through a growth spurt," Jinora informed. "After they learn how to fly, it's a short amount of time until they get to the adult size. You'll have to look up to his nose to pet it", she said with a giggle.

"That's not fair, buddy", Kai said while running his fingers through Lefty's fur. "Why don't you wait for me to get _my _growth spurt, too?"

An image of him getting to his teenage years flashed briefly through Jinora's mind, but she descended from her dreaming state after seeing Lefty and Pepper fidgeting in their places and taking a few steps back. Kai slid involuntarily on Lefty's head.

"Fine, you want to be the big one all the time. I got it," he said with his face buried in the bison's fur.

"What's going on?" Jinora asked narrowing her eyes.

Kai raised his eyes and his gaze met the forest patch. He saw an unrecognizable figure stirring through the trees and making rustling noises. The boy pointed a finger to the woods while holding one of his unresting bison's horns with the other hand.

"I think there's something out there."

Jinora saw the moving silhouette too. She approached it cautiously, while Kai snapped his glider open and flew towards it.

"Kai, watch out! You don't know what that thing is."

She knew that he was a very skilled airbender and he could handle peril, but she was taken aback of whatever could scare the bison that way. Finally, she let go of her uncertainty and ran to face the mysterious creature.

Kai was looking around for the silhouette, but it was like the ground swallowed it down. All he could see was trees with scratches and torn bark. Shortly, Jinora joined him.

"Okay, where's that thing?" she asked anxiously.

"It looks like it disappeared." Kai airbended himself on top of a nearby tree to have a better outlook on the forest. He didn't see any movement at all. Only the hot wind was playing with the leaves and crashed with the chilling sea breeze. He jumped back on the ground.

"Still nothing," he sighed. "What could have that been?"

"Whatever it was," she said gesturing towards some broken branches, "I think it's big and not happy. We should go back until we get a not-so-pleasant surprise."

"Jinora, wait. Listen."

An unsettling silence flowed between them. Not a single bird could be heard. Actually, it seemed like there were no animals at all around them. Jinora then realized that the spirits that usually roamed freely had fled the area. When a low groan came from afar, they both froze.

"Kai, I think we should get back to Lefty and Pepper to make sure they're fine. I don't like what's going on."

The boy nodded, then both got out of the forest. When they reached the pasture, the bison weren't there. Kai was ready to get off the ground to search for them, but Jinora pointed out a rocky platform where the two bison were hiding. Seeing their owners, Lefty and Pepper descended happily in front of them.

Kai joyfully hugged Lefty's head and the bison licked the upper part of his body, pinning him to the ground.

"They're really glad to see us, although nothing bad actually happened." Kai said.

"Maybe they know something we don't know," Jinora reckoned. "Animals have a sixth sense in these situations. The fauna fled, Lefty and Pepper got a big scare… Something's terrorizing this valley."

"A really aggressive platypus bear maybe?" Kai said, still lying on the ground.

"I doubt it. Dad said that there are actually no big animals on this island aside from sky bison, let alone platypus bears."

"Of what I've seen, it looked like a massive beast." Kai jumped to his feet. "Maybe we don't know everything about this island. Somehow, a big bad animal showed up and now is scaring everyone off. We have to find it," he said rubbing his chin.

"I guess you're right," Jinora sighed. "but we'll have plenty of time to think about it later. It's lunch time now," she said with a smile.

"Yay, tofu," Kai said with the least enthusiastic voice possible, which made Jinora chuckle. If there were two things that Kai didn't get used to since he started an air nomad life, they were meditating and adopting a vegetarian diet. Although he admitted that Pema was an amazing cook.

* * *

Kai and Jinora kept returning to the valley to spot the unknown creature for three days, but it was nowhere to be seen. It hasn't even given them the slightest glimpse like it did when they got Lefty and Pepper out, although signs of it kept showing up. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw a scratched granite slab, like a metal claw tried to dig into rock. Neither the animals nor the spirits have returned and the two airbenders searched in every corner of the forest without success. They didn't tell the others, though, because they felt like they would cause an unnecessary stir. Besides, the valley was their hiding place now.

On a cooler evening, Kai and Jinora lay on the highest balcony of the temple. The sea breeze engulfed them with a feeling of warmth.

"Maybe we're doing this wrong," Kai said. "I've been thinking that the creature knows we are waddling around its area all the time, so it only comes out at night. It may be really good at hide and seek, but it wouldn't expect us in its forest during nighttime. So we should start searching for it after sunset. It may be the only way to find out what that thing is."

At first, Jinora thought Kai's reasoning was out of place, but then she realized it may just make sense. The thought of spending a night together trying to solve a great mystery also made her smile awkwardly.

"Okay, I'm with you," she said. "We now have to figure out how to make dad let us leave for a night, since we'd never get off sneaking out on his watch."

Oh yes, Tenzin. Kai had forgotten about him. Convincing the master now seemed harder than tracking down the beast.

* * *

One day later, Kai and Jinora showed up outside the temple wearing backpacks and holding their gliders open. Naturally, Tenzin came to them with a curious look on his face, which turned to scolding as he was getting closer.

"What are you two trying to do right now? First of all, it's almost nighttime, and second, why do you look like you are planning to sleep elsewhere?"

Kai froze for a moment and closed his glider staff. Tenzin looked like he would cut him to pieces if he knew the truth and his height was compelling him like never before.

"Asami invited us to her mansion to show us some interesting things," Jinora spoke lightheartedly.

Tenzin wasn't content with his daughter's excuse.

"Did Asami ask for my permission to take you from here?" Jinora opened her mouth to say something, but Tenzin cut her off. "No, she didn't. And why would she invite you two to spend a night at her home?"

"Because," Kai started, and Jinora sighed in relief, "she's got this great new invention and she needs us to work on something on the propeller. It's easier to do that when you have two lightweight airbenders," he said while trying not to succumb under Tenzin's death stare.

"Yeah, and you can consider it a late I-just-got-my-master-tattoos present," Jinora continued.

"She still didn't ask _me_", Tenzin said furrowing his brow.

"Mako passed to tell you about it, but I guess he's forgotten," Jinora mentioned. Indeed, Mako visited Tenzin two days ago to ask for his help in tracking down a criminal group in Republic City, but he didn't say anything about Asami wanting to house Jinora and Kai because she wanted them to help her on a new invention. Things just didn't tie up in Tenzin's head and he suspected his daughter was lying to him.

"Besides, have you ever seen Asami's house? Me neither. But everyone says it's gorgeous. We're just going to help her out and have fun," Jinora implied.

"Master Tenzin, everything will be fine. We'll come back by tomorrow noon," Kai assured and bowed respectfully.

In that respective moment, Kai and Jinora seemed like two little angels with innocent intentions to Tenzin. He would have never let his daughter hang out with a boy for too long, but if they're just visiting Asami…

"Fine, I'll allow you to do this. I'm taking a few days off to strengthen my connection with the spirits and I don't want to cut up rough. You can go, but don't make me regret it.

"You won't, daddy. I promise," Jinora beamed.

She and Kai opened their gliders again and got off the ground, flying towards Republic City.

_Maybe I shouldn't be so rough on them. They're both greatly skilled airbenders and Kai is Jinora's best friend. They won't let each other do stupid things, _Tenzin thought as he was getting back to the meditation room. Positive thinking has always been a great part of spiritual enlightenment.

* * *

"Kai, stop riding your glider that way; if you lose your balance, I don't know if I'll be able to pick you up from the ground," Jinora said while trying to hide her smile, but wound up laughing at her friend's antics.

Kai was sitting on his feet on the glider, trying to surf through the air currents.

"Jinora, you know me. I have everything unde – " he trailed off after sliding into a less aerodynamic pose, but then regained his balance. Jinora's heart skipped a beat. "Under con – " he once again was close to falling of the glider, but ended up hugging it desperately and getting back into the regular pose.

"Under control?" Jinora asked teasingly. Kai's cheeks flushed.

"More or less," he answered. Neither of them could hold back their laughs.

After realizing Tenzin has gotten back inside the temple, the two airbenders changed their direction and headed to the valley. The summer heat dissipated and the valley turned into a cold, dark abyss. After seeing the lagoon that sparkled under the moonlight, they recognized their place and landed gracefully.

The same low groan they heard on their first encounter with the creature was echoing through the valley once again. The moon was casting a large, creepy shadow of the cliff on the rustling grass. When Kai turned his head towards the forest, he witnessed a big branch falling in the distance with a thumping sound.

"It's gonna be a long night," Jinora sighed.

II

Jinora and Kai slowly entered the forest. The cold wind was blowing harder than it did in the past week, but it didn't bother them. In fact, it made the two airbenders feel more in touch with their element, as summer air felt more like hundreds of hot daggers rather than a smooth breeze. Jinora opened her flashlight, then decided a path to follow.

The airbenders stood next to each other, paying attention to every detail around them. As stars shone brighter and darkness settled firmly, there was still no sign of the beast.

"Wait," Kai whispered. "I think I've heard something from out there."

The boy gestured towards a clearing. Jinora pointed the flashlight to the indicated area.

"Let's set our camp there," she proposed. "It's getting late and we're not going to be taken by surprise around there. We may be getting closer."

Kai approved. The two moved quietly to the grass patch and got the sleeping bags out of their backpacks.

Jinora mentally scolded herself. They were going to sleep in bare sight and were an easy target for the angry beast that, most likely, won't have to try too hard to take care of two kids wrapped in sleeping bags.

"Gah, we should have brought a tent," she breathed. "We'll have to constantly keep an eye out on the creature."

"Are you sure we haven't brought a tent?" Kai said as he took out a roll of fabric out of his backpack. Jinora looked at him impressed. He has always had a thing for getting into sticky situations, but not for thinking them through.

"Where did you find it?"

"Well, I kind of sneaked out in your father's chamber of _important things _and thought this may come in handy," he said rubbing his neck.

"Old habits die hard?" Jinora giggled.

"Nowadays I wouldn't call it a habit, but a skill," he answered while unpacking the tent. "Hey, I thought you said you need this thing," Kai said with a coy smile.

"I did. Thank you, skilled father-robber," Jinora said and patted his shoulder blade affectiously. The feeling of her hand on his back sent warm shivers down his spine.

Kai and Jinora set out the tent and cut a few observation holes into the fabric. They didn't light up a fire not to drive the creature away, so they had to make do with the warmth of their sleeping bags.

It was close to midnight and a thick silence crept through the forest. The two airbenders felt slightly disappointed because of the beast's sudden absence, but kept their conversation running.

* * *

"…they didn't know that Kun was, in fact, an earthbender. So, when the night came, he decomposed his prison brick by brick and fought off the guards. He managed to save Bei-La from being killed by the anarchists, but she didn't want to return home. Instead of returning to a better life, she chose to travel the world with Kun. They never settled in one single place for the rest of their lives and they visited each one of the air temples. After Kun died, Bei-La decided to travel again through their lifetime path and plant a cherry tree in each one of her favourite places. Whenever the cherry trees blossomed, people were reminded of Kun's courage and Bei-La's devotion."

And so, Jinora finished recounting the latest book she has read. Kai had listened carefully lying on his back. He loved the sound of Jinora's voice and how she had her way with the words. She sounded soothing and made him forget he was in the middle of the forest and it was getting close to midnight.

"So, what do you think about it?" Jinora said, ending his train of thoughts.

"About the story?"

The girl nodded.

_What do I think about it? _Kai questioned himself. He has never been too keen on literature, but Jinora loved it, and her books seemed interesting, so he thought of getting into her favourite hobby. But it's easier said than done. What can he _say _about a story? What if Jinora expects him to come out with a smart answer? Getting on her level seemed hard, so Kai decided to approach the situation naturally.

"I think the cherry trees represent Bei-La and Kun pretty well. I mean, when I think of a cherry tree, I see dark, strong bark, which links to Kun's strength and courage, but also pretty pink flowers, which can remind you of Bei-La's caring and loving nature. To become a hero in your own kind, you have to possess both of those things. To be like a cherry tree. So I guess that's why the author chose them."

Jinora had leaned closer to Kai and stared at him dumbstruck. She hasn't seen this side of him before _and it's a sight to behold_, she thought. Kai has never seen her with a perplexed look on her figure neither, at least not pointed towards him.

"That's actually a great point of view, Kai. I haven't thought about it that way," Jinora spoke softly.

"Er… Thanks," Kai beamed. "I didn't know that interpreting a story can be such a big deal."

"Well, it's not only that. Actually, I've learned a lot of things from my books. I feel like I can lose myself into them and come back fresher and knowing a whole lot more. It's such a funny feeling."

"So that is how you've become so wise."

"Wise? Me?" Jinora said blushing. "I am just a kid. I wouldn't consider myself wise just yet."

"But you _are _wise. And the smartest person I know. _And _you saved Korra's life twice. You're the youngest airbender master in history. You have all the rights to consider yourself special. Wow, you seem even more important now that I've recalled the greatest things you've done. Well, some of them." Kai rubbed his neck. "I can bet you're gonna make a great change, master."

Jinora's eyes widened in surprise and she was trying to suppress the hot scarlet blush spread all over her features.

"Master? Kai, I'm still Jinora. You know, that one you've known since some time. You can treat me like your equal," she said with a sincere grin.

"Well, I'm glad I've got to meet you," Kai said gazing into her eyes.

Jinora was trembling inside. No one ever made her feel so appreciated and filled her with such a poignant feeling of peace. Many people told her they were proud of her, but Kai… He was touching a certain heartstring of hers.

"I'm happy I've got to meet you, too," she told him. "And I'm proud of you."

It was Kai's turn to blush awkwardly. "Me? Uhm… Thank you, but… Why are you more exactly proud of me?"

Jinora smiled. "For you are the greatest airbender I know outside, well, Korra and the two existent masters. For you are a sweet, caring guy and an amazing person. And the best friend I ever had." She scooted closer to him, resting on his side. "For you have _changed."_

Kai shifted into the lotus position, not knowing exactly how to react to Jinora's words or how to fight the inner heat that started running through his flesh.

"Thanks," he said shyly. It wasn't something that really typified him, she thought. "You know, before leaving the village I'd grown in, nobody told me they're proud of me or made me feel appreciated. Most of the time, they weren't kind at all." He lowered his gaze. "But I won't blame them." Kai stopped, noticing he was starting to muffle Jinora with his past problems, which he didn't want.

She noticed that she pushed him into a less happy territory, so she tried to change the subject, but then heard a twig crack loudly.

Kai and Jinora rushed to the observation holes and listened carefully. The forest was bathing in a frozen silence, but a faded sound was cutting through the atmosphere.

"I think it's getting late. We should sleep in turns so we can constantly pay attention to what's happening," Jinora said.

"Agreed. You go to sleep first. You look tired, and besides, that sound got me in the mood for catching big bad beasts," he said taking a firm grip on his staff.

"If you say so," she said smoothly, her voice trailing off into a yawn. "Wake me up if you see something, okay?"

"Aye, aye, cap'n."

Jinora chuckled and leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Kai."

He took a few seconds to respond. "Oh, yeah, good night, Jinora."

She quickly fell asleep, not bothering to slip into her sleeping bag. Kai actively looked through the holes cut in the tent to spot the slightest sign of the beast, shifting from one to another every minute, and taking a look at Jinora in-between.

_She looks even more peaceful when she sleeps._

* * *

Three hours passed and Jinora slept lightly, but good. When she woke up, she saw Kai still peeping through the largest hole.

"How much time's passed?" she asked.

"Dunno, but it's still dark outside," he mumbled.

"Did you spot anything?"

"Nope."

"Kai?" she said placing a hand on his shoulder. He slowly turned his face to hers.

"Kai, it's time you go to sleep, too. You look _really_ tired."

"No, I'm actually feeling a lot _energeticer…"_

Jinora hid her mouth between her thumb and index finger to muzzle her laughing. "It's my turn now, you know? You need to get some sleep. I'll warn you if something happens," she said touching the dark rings under his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered under his yawn. "Good luck, Jinora," he said and fell on his back, quickly falling asleep.

Jinora was paying attention to every detail around them, but the late hour made her feel drowsy and her mind started drifting away to other places.

_No, focus._

Slowly, she started losing hope that they will actually get to see the beast. This elusive monster that conquered their minds ever since they found out about its existence. She felt the need to go outside and search through the whole forest for it, but ultimately decided to stick to the plan and have patience.

However, the clutches of sleep were stronger, so when Jinora took her eyes away from one of the observation holes, she fell asleep hoping to recharge her batteries even a little.

* * *

The two airbenders were woken up by the sound of a heavy stepping. Jinora realized she has been using Kai's chest as a pillow, so she quickly lifted herself on her feet as much as the tent's height allowed her and helped Kai get up, too.

"The beast. It's surely it. We proceed the way we decided. Throw a gust of air at it to cover its sight for a few moments, then I lift it up in the air and you airbend the net at it. We're gonna have the creature immobilized and we'll see then," Jinora whispered and Kai nodded in agreement.

They airbended the tent open and started blowing a strong wind towards the beast. They didn't have the time to notice its appearance, but it was almost as tall as the trees and had long, lead-black claws.

After a few seconds, the creature started making its way out of the air current, then made a swift move to the edge of the clearing. Kai sent an air blade towards it, but the beast easily dodged it with another quick movement.

"I don't get it," he shouted. "What animal is this strong?"

"That's because it's not an animal," Jinora said in a stupefying realization. "It's a spirit."

* * *

Tenzin woke up a few hours earlier to resume his meditation. He was sitting in one of the temple's quieter halls, surrounded by several scented candles. He took a long breath, then closed his eyes and began searching to meet his spiritual self. Tenzin let his mind transcend and try to reach an unseen light. A door which would lead him outside the earthly realm. After a few minutes of revolving around that light, he found himself drifting away from it. He sighed and opened his eyes.

_Maybe I'm not approaching it the right way, _Tenzin thought.

So he decided to think of the things to which he is the most spiritually attached. The air nomads. The temples. The new Air Nation.

He tried to let himself sink in his culture, but the light still seemed untouchable. Then, he thought of his family. He immediately felt warmth running through his body. Tenzin closed his eyes and tried to link himself to his wife and children. He knew they were sleeping quietly in their rooms. Soundly, for Meelo. He could feel their energies like they were the flames of the candles. Suddenly, their scent tickled his nose. One energy seemed less brighter than the others. _That must be Jinora_, he thought. _She is staying further in Republic City, at Asami's. _But some strange presence was disturbing the connection with her energy. He felt it fading away. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to make out what it means. Suddenly, Tenzin saw a moving shadow chasing her. His first thought was that Kai was tormenting her, but then, he saw him running from the shadow, too. The picture lit up and he saw both of them in the forest of the Air Temple Island fighting with a dark spirit.

Tenzin quickly put the candles out, took his glider and flew towards the forest. He had no time to be mad about the two lying to him so blatantly or think about what was happening. He _had _to get them out.

* * *

The spirit grew angry and started using its claws to attack Jinora and Kai, who dropped their staffs while trying to run from the creature. They were limber enough to dodge all its attacks, but had no spare moments to cast any attack on it. After it would miss and cut trees down like a chainsaw, the spirit would quickly jump to one of the two airbenders. They lifted themselves on treetops, but the spirit seemed to possess a similar agility.

"Where's Korra with her spiritbending when you need her?" Jinora asked rhetorically.

"I'm pretty sure she'd gladly help us, but she won't do much from her wheelchair," Kai said while avoiding the spirit's claws.

In a desperate plunge, Kai and Jinora sent two strong air gusts which took the spirit down to the ground. A bit surprised of their brief success, they proceeded to hide behind one of the more massive trees.

"I have to spiritually project myself to talk with the spirit at close quarters. The problem is we can't make it slow down so I can get closer," Jinora whispered to Kai.

"That's kind of a long shot," he said. "Can't you get help from someone this way?"

"I don't think it's worth risking someone else's safety to take care of this spirit. It's most probably invincible if only ordinary bending is used."

"I guess you're right." Kai sat a few moments to ponder. "I can lure it in one of the caves," he said. "It'll come after me, but I'll protect myself with an air shield. You take the time to do your spirity magic and talk with it in the Spirit World."

"It's a bit risky," Jinora opined, but a loud crack from afar cut her off.

"It's the best thing we can do right now. To save both ourselves and the forest," Kai said.

Jinora nodded reluctantly. She put her hands on his shoulders and told him, "Take care."

Kai ran towards the sounds and found the spirit searching for him and Jinora.

"Looking for someone?" he said and raised himself on top of a tree with an air twist. The spirit quickly jumped after him with its claws ready, but Kai avoided the attack and projected himself on a nearby cliff. Seeing the spirit hungrily coming for him, he built himself an air scooter and rushed to the nearest cave. Jinora saw him entering the cavity and airbended herself behind the spirit, which shortly met Kai. Right before the creature could launch an attack on him, Kai span into an air cloak and quickly directed it to the spirit. The latter crossed its limbs to counter the attack, but that was the farthest it could go.

While Kai was shielding itself, Jinora was concentrating to link with the spirit's energy. It was much easier now that it was sitting in one single place and was close to her. She breathed and found herself face to face with the dark spirit.

"Hello," she said softly while touching its figure with one hand. "Let's talk this through."

She placed her other hand on the spirit and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Tenzin arrived at the cave's entrance and saw the scene. Before he could make out what's happening, Kai said loudly:

"Do _not _do anything! It will only make things worse. You _have _to trust me."

Tenzin was already too puzzled by what was happening, so he chose to go with the boy's indications. Still, he couldn't stand to watch two children, one of them being his daughter, trying to fight with a dark spirit all by themselves. He already tried it once himself and was easily defeated by the entity.

Shortly, the spirit began to glow golden and Jinora woke up from her meditating state. She gestured to Kai that he can stop airbending, and so he did. Tenzin and his daughter walked to the energy-drained Kai to help him get up, and by the time they got next to him, the spirit melted into a pool of light which flowed into the valley.

"How did you find us?" Jinora asked.

"Meditation," Tenzin said laconically.

The threesome approached the cave's entrance and saw the liquid light fractionating into an array of golden droplets, each one of them turning into a panda lily. The flowers were spread all over the pasture and were swaying gently under the soft morning wind.

"They're so beautiful!" Jinora exclaimed.

"What did you tell the spirit so it would transform into flowers?" Kai asked.

"I didn't really _talk _with it. I found out that it wasn't evil, just troubled, though. And somehow, a peace settled between us and it calmed down. However, I thought the dark spirits were chased away by Korra after the Harmonic Convergence."

"Well, Jinora, as you said, that spirit may have just been troubled, and that was the thing that turned it into a force of darkness. It happens the same way with people. But I don't understand why did you two have to deal with it," Tenzin said.

Kai and Jinora exchanged looks, then the latter decided to speak. "We came here to play with the bison and we found out that something was chasing the animals and the other spirits away. We kept searching for it without success, but then, we decided to come here at night so we can see what it is, so, yeah, this happened. A troubled spirit found home on our island."

"Still, I don't get why a mean _troubled _spirit showed up right here out of all places and decided to wreak havoc," Kai said.

"I think that the disorder in the Earth Kingdom may have something to do with it. When peace is disrupted, some spirits may become angry with the humans and start causing problems, but seek solace at the same time. So that must be the reason why this one chose the Air Temple Island. It's one of the most tranquil and spirit-friendly places in the world, just like any air temple. That spirit may have caused troubles," Tenzin reckoned and involuntarily turned his head to Kai, making a connection. "But now that it was given compassion, it transformed into something beautiful," he continued. "You two did a great job. I'm proud of you. And Kai, thanks for taking care of my daughter. Continue to do so."

The boy was taken by surprise by Tenzin's words, but bowed to him in understanding. "My pleasure." Jinora herself found her father's attitude towards her and Kai's little escape questionable. And especially towards Kai. And since when did he understand spirits so well?

"Does that mean that the hours you've spent trying to connect with the spirits did wonders?" Jinora smirked.

"Maybe. I will try bringing more scented candles next time. _But," _Tenzin said changing the tone of his voice, "that doesn't mean I'll get over the fact that you lied to me so carefreely to sneak out alone in the wilds during nighttime and kept the creature issue far from the other ones' and _my _attention." Jinora realized she has rushed her conclusions. "You two will clean the bison's stables, and if you don't come back home in the next two minutes, you'll have to clean the big hallroom, too. And let's not forget that the training starts in one hour. We will practice forms 15, 16, and learn about the construction of the Eastern Air Temple. Don't be late and don't forget to give me back the tent," he said as he opened his glider and flew back to the temple.

Jinora and Kai sighed.

"I hope dad doesn't find out," Jinora said quietly.

"About what?" Kai shrugged. "He already busted our mission, found out about our place and I'm pretty sure we're going to smell like Lefty for a week."

"No, not about that. About this," she said grabbing his robes and pulling him towards her. For a split second, Kai was surprised by Jinora's sudden boldness, but as their lips crashed, he couldn't think anymore. His mind exploded like a firework, his body heat ran from his limbs towards its chest and was putting on a firebending show, and his cheeks turned sunset red. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, shyly placing his hands on her waist. He felt love, pure love radiating from his core and blossoming like a flower. Her lips felt like the inside of a marshmallow. Jinora sighed against his mouth and let a feeling of imponderability overtake her. As the morning warmth was creeping in, she could only feel his body warmth. After what felt like an eternity, they pulled back, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Don't worry, he won't," Kai said.

The dawn was painting the island in lively colours and was enveloping it in a thin foil of light. Shortly, the two airbenders were flying to the temple through the summer heat, embracing the silky air currents, one of them wearing a panda lily behind her ear.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for stopping by my first fanfic story. I like to think that Tenzin isn't _that _overprotective on Jinora, for he knows she's mature enough to forge the path she wants and Kai isn't a 'liar and a thief' anymore. That doesn't mean he'd let them do whatever they want, lol. Anyways, have a beautiful day! Oh, and if I have to put a disclaimer: I really don't own Legend of Korra.**


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